The calming nature of yoga seems to directly contrast the demands of sports training. However, the two activities work well in harmony. Yoga helps athletes build core strength, and according to Gwen Lawrence, a yoga coach for pro athletes and owner of Power Yoga for Sports, practicing yoga is also one of the best ways to prevent sports-related injuries.
Types of Yoga
As ABC-of-Yoga.com explains, yoga is based on ancient principles that connect the mind and body, and has been practiced for thousands of years. Several different types of yoga have evolved over those years including Bikram, Ashtanga and Vinyasa. Each of these types have gained popularity with Western athletes due to their reputation for improving muscular strength and flexibility while creating a sense of focus and balance.
Pranayama Breathing
By correctly practicing yoga's breathing techniques, pranayama, you learn to control your mental focus. As a directed mind is often an advantage over your competition, this discipline may help to improve your focus and performance in sports. In addition, whereas intense sports training triggers the sympathetic nervous system and forces blood to flow into your muscles, pranayama stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, which allows blood to move into your digestive, reproductive and glandular systems, promoting sustained strength and agility.
Core Strength
One of the primary objectives in sports training is to build strength, and as Best-Ab-Exercises.com explains, establishing a powerful core can enhance both your training and overall performance. As yoga incorporates postures that elongate and tighten your muscles while developing core strength, it benefits sports training in this way, as well. The cobra pose, upward facing dog, bridge pose and extended triangle are a few examples of yoga positions that work to build and increase core strength.
Injury Prevention
According to Lawrence, overuse is the most common reason athletes incur sports related injuries. After working with pro-athletes, including players from the New York Giants, the New York Yankees and the New York Knicks, Lawrence recommends practicing yoga to avoid common sports injuries such as hip pain, knee injuries, shoulder pain, wrist problems, ankle sprains and lower back pain. As she explains, "A vast majority of blown knees, torn shoulders or dislocations are from not combating the problem with symmetry and body balance."
References
- Power Yoga for Sports: Top 10 Sports Injuries
- Yoga-Age.com: Sports Training and Yoga Practice
- ABC-of-Yoga.com: Benefits of Yoga
- MatsMatsMats.com: Different Types of Yoga
- Best-Ab-Exercises.com: Get a Sculpted Abdominal Core Fast With the Best Core Strength Exercises
- Yoga Movement: How Yoga Calms the Mind and Body
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